Felicia Curry: When David Kreeger moved to Washington in 1934, he came to work as a lawyer for the Department of Agriculture.

By the time he died in 1990, he and his wife Carmen had made an indelible mark on DC's art scene.

♪ Curry: Look at this beautiful piece.

It's a gorgeous work.

It's by Foon Sham.

Foon is well known to the Washington area and has worked all over the city.

Curry, voice-over: I met with Helen Chason, director of the Kreeger Museum, to talk about the Kreegers' art collection and their legacy.

Curry: I noticed immediately that it did feel like a residence.

Was the intention always to make this a museum?

Great question.

And, yes, they knew from the very beginning that they would open this building as a museum after they were finished using it as a residence.

Carmen Kreeger played a very big role in designing this.

They wanted a building that would house their growing art collection and to provide good acoustics for music concerts.

♪ There are world-renowned artists in this collection.

Monet.

Helen Chason: Yes.

Van Gogh.

Yes.

How did they amass the fortune necessary to gain artwork of that prestige?

David Kreeger came from a very middle-class background.

He went to Harvard Law School.

He worked with an investment group and then became CEO and general counsel to Geico, and that is how they were able to purchase many of the works that they purchased.

♪ They loved Washington, DC-based artists, and they loved the Impressionists.

They purchased works directly from DC artists as well as from galleries in town, and they bought what they loved.

They did not buy for investment.

Their one rule was it had to be a work of art that they both wanted hanging in their home.

♪ I can show you one of our most Instagrammable works, which is a Monet.

I'd absolutely love to see that.

All right.

♪ This is the Monet, and it was painted in 1897, and the Kreegers purchased it in 1961.

I love the use of the purple in the haze off on the side and in the vegetation.

It's really beautiful.

As you move around the gallery space, you can see the perspective change quite a bit, and at different times of day, the painting looks different.

♪ I believe that one of our strengths is you're able to stand three feet from a Monet and really see the texture in the canvas.

You can see the brushwork, but it's the intimacy of the gallery experience, I think, that is so well worth it.

I've got to get my Instagrammable photo.

[Chuckles] OK. Ready?

[Camera shutter clicks] Oh, it's gorgeous.

♪ Curry: Oh, my goodness.

Chason: This is a beauty.

This is by Maillol.

And it was one of the first outdoor works that the Kreegers purchased.

The sculptures have grown since then.

They have.

They have.

How many do you have out here now?

We have almost 20, I think, at last count.

Oh, my goodness.

We have both the works in the permanent collection that the Kreegers purchased, and then we've added to the collection since with contemporary works, some of them by Washington, DC-based artists.

We've talked a little bit about the work the Kreegers have done here on their museum, but how important were they to the fabric of DC?

They were quite philanthropic and huge patrons of the cultural world in Washington, DC.

They were very involved in the arts as well as some of the city life.

The Kreegers established artist awards at many of the universities in the area, so they were actively encouraging education about the arts as well as supporting the arts.

♪ You have several world-renowned artists alongside great local artists as well.

We absolutely do.

In the permanent collection, we have Sam Gilliam, we have Gene Davis, we have Thomas Downing-- Washington-based artists that are usually on view in the lower gallery.

Right now we're celebrating our 30th anniversary exhibition, "Here In This Little Bay."

That exhibition has outstanding artists from the Washington, DC, area.

We have so much talent in this city, and it's just wonderful to be able to bring that talent and have their work on view and share it.

Curry: I love contemporary work.

This is beautiful.

These are two gorgeous works created by Kei Ito.

This is using sunlight and photosensitive paper, and the liquid that was used was a combination of honey and syrup.

And then it was put out in the sun, and this work was created during the summer.

And the work on the left-hand side was created during the winter, demonstrating how the different temperatures changed the materials that were used.

Wow!

What an exciting thing to do on the 30th anniversary, to see where art has come.

Absolutely.

Oh, wow.

This work was selected for our 30th-anniversary exhibition.

This is titled "Mirror World," and it is acrylic ink on panel.

I love this placement in the room.

It truly, like, fills the whole space.

It does.

And I'm thrilled to actually announce that the David Lloyd Kreeger Foundation has purchased this work to have it on view forever.

Wonderful.

Chason: Carmen and David Kreeger were incredibly generous people, who felt that the secret to a good life was sharing.

And our mission is very simple.

It's to share art, architecture, and music.

It's exactly what Carmen and David Kreeger did, and it is such an honor to continue that legacy today.

Helen, thank you so much for your time here today.

We have loved being with you here at the Kreeger Museum.

Thank you so much, Felicia.

It's been a real pleasure.

Curry: The Kreeger Museum's newest exhibition presents prints by local artists acquired by local collectors.

Get details at kreegermuseum.org.